Management of Copper Heap Leach Projects: A Geologist's Perspective

فصل «Management of Copper Heap Leach Projects: A Geologist's Perspective» از کتاب «Geology and Mining: Evolution of Best Practice» بر «استخراج حلالی مس» در حوزه «مدیریت صنعت مس» تمرکز دارد. محتوا مبانی علمی، روش‌های فنی و پیامدهای عملی موضوع را به‌صورت منسجم توضیح می‌دهد. برای تحلیل بازار، ارزیابی سرمایه‌گذاری، سیاست‌گذاری، مدیریت ریسک و برنامه‌ریزی راهبردی مفید است.

Copper production by heap leaching, coupled with solvent extraction and electrowinning (SX-EW), is a well-established technology, with an annual output of about 3.7 million tonnes (Mt) of copper metal. Copper heap leaching is a rate-dependent process sensitive to copper mineralogy (copper oxides > secondary sulfides > hypogene sulfides), driven by the pH of the leach solution, the activity of ferric iron (Feaq3+) dissolved in the leach solution, and temperature. There are three basic approaches to commercial copper heap leaching—run-of-mine, dedicated pad, and onoff pad leaching, with variables that include crushing, acid/ferric agglomeration, solution application rate, and leach solution pH.